SOUTH GLENS FALLS - It was a tale of two halves for South Glens Falls Tuesday night against Foothills Council rival Glens Falls.

After the first half, the homestanding Bulldogs emerged with a four-point lead. However, a stretch of nearly 12 minutes without a field goal in the final two quarters proved very costly for the hosts, who fell 54-42.

"In the third quarter, we didn't come out with the intensity I wanted to see from the girls tonight," South Glens Falls head coach Jack Celeste said. "That's been one of our problems during the season. In the third quarter, we've had some inconsistencies, and tonight, we didn't get it done."

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The first half saw the Bulldogs and the Indians trade baskets, with neither team able to control the game for more than a few minutes at a time. Solid team play and 10 points before intermission from Alexis Smith, though, gave South Glens Falls a 25-21 edge after 16 minutes.

"We played a half-court man-to-man that worked pretty well," Celeste said. "We were moving the ball well on offense, getting some good looks down low and some good looks out

side."

The third quarter, though, saw Glens Falls take firm control of the proceedings. The Indians went on a 20-2 run that extended deep into the fourth stanza, and the only South Glens Falls points that were scored in that time period came on two free throws from Smith.

By the time Kasey O'Brien hit a layup with 4:10 remaining, Glens Falls had turned a four-point halftime deficit into a double-digit lead. The Bulldogs were able to put together a quick 6-0 spurt, but O'Brien missed on a 1-and-1 opportunity with 1:30 to go, and the Indians outscored the home team 11-6 from that point on.

Glens Falls was fueled by its high-octane backcourt. Skylar Girard finished with a game-high 19 points and four assists, while fellow guard Meresa Mason scored 12 of her 17 points in the second half.

"They're very good," Celeste said. "Glens Falls' backcourt is tough. We knew that coming in. We centered (our gameplan) on their two guards. They were just a little better than us tonight. When they drove, they either made the basket or drew a foul."

Smith, meanwhile, led the Bulldogs with 14 points in the losing effort. Sydney Coon scored 12 points and drained three 3-pointers, and O'Brien added 11 points and two assists.

With the win, Glens Falls pulls ahead of South Glens Falls in the tightly-packed Foothills Council standings. At 5-2 in league play, the Indians sit a half-game back of 6-2 Queensbury at press time, and a game ahead of the Bulldogs, who are 5-4 against Foothills Council opponents.

"We've had a couple of these losses during the year, and we're still in this thing," Celeste said. "I told the girls, 'Take it one game at a time, and see how the cards fall.'

"We'll see how things go. The league's tight, and on any given night, anybody can beat anybody, so we'll continue to work hard."